


Splinters

by IAmNotTrisha



Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M, Fluff, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26914231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmNotTrisha/pseuds/IAmNotTrisha
Summary: A sweet moment between Jamie and Claire as they settle into their new lives on Frasers Ridge.
Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser
Comments: 27
Kudos: 149





	Splinters

**Author's Note:**

> I went on a hike the other day and by the end of it I had two splinters in my fingers. They were TINY but surprisingly painful and annoying. And if you know me then you know I can’t have a single thought without somehow tying it to Jamie and Claire so that’s how this wee one shot came to exist🤪

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!” Jamie had just finished checking the snares for the day when he heard Claire’s pained shout.

Had he let his brain process her exclamation he would have known she was in no real danger, but as usual, his warrior instincts kicked in and he burst through the door of her small shed ready to fend off whatever had disrupted his wife.

“Sasseneach? Are ye alright? What’s wrong? Are ye hurt?” He heaved deep breaths, eyes quickly scanning the room before they fell on Claire standing near her work table.

“It’s nothing really. Just this bloody, fucking table again,” Claire grumbled as she cradled one of her hands. 

Although they’d been settling into the Ridge quite peacefully these past few months, Jamie still hated when he had to leave her alone. It left his nerves fried some days.

Looking back and forth from her hand to the table, Jamie immediately calmed and he fought to suppress a smirk. He loved her like this, hair wild from a day’s work gathering herbs and her cheeks flushed in anger at the offending piece of furniture. Whether it be the blasted table or the white sow tearing up her garden, Jamie quite enjoyed seeing her riled up, as long as it wasn’t aimed at him.

“Ach, c’mere Sassenach. Let’s have a look.” His eyes softened as he held out his hand to her. His heart nearly burst as she curled into him, her bottom lip forming a perfect pout as she gave him her hand. 

“More bloody splinters, that’s all. It’s nothing. I’m fine, I promise.” She mumbled into his chest as he held her.

Jamie kissed her crown and pulled back to get a proper look at her hand, giving her a pointed look because she was acting exactly like he did whenever he was hurt but didn’t want to worry Claire. 

Taking her hand in his, he gasped slightly at the sight. She had a few small splinters in her fingers but there was one rather large one jutting out at the base of her palm, along with a steady trickle of blood.

“Claire, I’d say ye got more than a few splinters, look your puir hand looks as though a tree was practicing acupuncture on ye! Christ that one there is nearly the size of yer sgian dubh.” He cradled her small delicate hand in his large calloused hands.

Jamie knew her injuries weren’t anything too serious, but he was always unsettled anytime she was hurt. She was the doctor. She was the one who healed people. But who would heal her when she needed it?

Claire could see the worry flash through his eyes briefly before he composed his features. She brought her good hand up to his cheek, signaling him to look up at her.

“It’s just a few splinters, we just have to remove them and clean the wounds alright?” She cooed in what Jamie had come to call her “healer voice”. It was the tone she used with all the weary souls who sought her healing touch. No matter what ailed them Claire would talk to them with her sweet voice to keep them calm. It was one of the many things Jamie admired her for.

Pulling the splinters out was worse for Jamie than it was for Claire. Because although she merely winced at the sensation of the shards being removed from her skin, Jamie hated the thought that she was feeling any sort of discomfort. That and it reminded him of the time she tried to get him to stab her in the arse with her needle.

Once he’d rid her hand of the remaining splinters, Claire was eager to splash a bit of alcohol on it and move on. She so hated being the one in need of medical attention, no matter how minor. Jamie on the other had had other plans. As she made to move towards the shelf he gently pulled her back into him, her heart bursting at the tenderness his eyes poured into her.

“Sassenach, I’m no a doctor, but ye’ve tended my own wounds enough for me te know the basics. Ye need te clean the wounds and bandage that hand so yer wee beasties dinna sneak in there and start a ruckus.”

Claire couldn’t help but smile at her husband's interpretation of the way germs worked. And she couldn’t very well argue with him either, he had a point.

“Very well,” she resigned.

Jamie maneuvered them back to her work table and effortlessly lifted her to sit on the top of it while he gathered the clean linen and alcohol. Claire took the opportunity to admire him, her larger than life husband, gracefully moving about her tiny shed.

Christ she did love him.

Claire hadn’t experienced a love as tender as this in all their twenty years apart. And though she'd been reunited with Jamie for well over a year now, and they were making a new life for themselves in America, the pain of those lost twenty years still cut deeper than any splinter ever could.

A warm and soft sensation on her injured hand snapped Claire out of her thoughts. 

“Where did ye go just then mo grhidhe? Jamie asked softly. Ocean deep eyes searching her golden ones earnestly before he placed a feather light kiss to the base of her palm, where the biggest gash lay red and angry.

“Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you. And how much I Love you.” She felt him smile into her hand at her reply.

“Hmm,” he hummed in contentment making sure he didn’t leave a single wound left unkissed before he brought his lips to hers and kissed her pink lips “I love ye too Sassenach.”

Forgetting all about the bandages, Jamie leaned his hands against the table and stood between Claire’s legs to gain better access to her mouth. But just as Claire started to feel Jamie’s tongue run along her bottom lip she felt him tense up.

“Jamie?” She breathed with half interest as she continued to nip at his lips.

But as she shifted forwards a bit to grant Jamie better access to her arse, he let out a small groan, but not the kind she had expected. The gig was up.

“Alright mister, out with it. What’s wrong? Because you could be laying on your deathbed and still never pass up an opportunity to grab at my arse?” She asked, somewhat annoyed that they’d had to stop what they were doing.

Jamie looked at her, cheeks red with embarrassment. “Aye ye have a verra fine arse mo nighean donn. It’s jest...I uh” Jamie muttered the last half of his sentence so Claire didn’t hear.

“What was that?” She prodded.

Jamie huffed and looked at his feet as he spoke. “I got a splinter,” he grumbled, not unlike a small child would when they get an ouchie.

Claire couldn’t help but laugh. Here was her husband, pure Viking in structure and braver than any man she’d ever known, standing in front of her pouting because he’d gotten a splinter. 

“Are ye laughing at me?” Jamie feigned offense.

“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you. Really! You should just see how adorable you look right now!” Claire gasped between laughter.

“Aye, sure ye aren’t.” Jamie said lowly as he gently kissed the laugh right off her lips.

After a moment Claire slipped down off the table, making sure her skirts didn’t get snagged on the rough surface. 

“That’s it! One day I’m going to build ye a proper surgery with proper tables that have polished surfaces!” Jamie announced, shooting the old table one last glare as they made their way out of the door.

Wrapping her arm around his waist, his strong frame supporting her as they walked back to their cabin Claire hummed, “I like the sound of that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my wonderful friends and betas who constantly cheer me on and fix my poor grammar.


End file.
